Colour Barcode System to Hit DVDs, Xbox 360 Games

A colour barcode system holding more data than current codes will find its way onto DVDs later this year.

The four and eight-colour geometric patterns can hold up to two-pages of data, double the amount of traditional black and white, striped barcodes. Developed by Microsoft, it is one of a number of competing products hoping to find their way onto packaging.

Up to 3,500 alphabetical characters of data can be embedded into each square inch of the barcode. The code is made up of up to eight-different coloured triangles which are aligned left to right with each shape placed from point to base or vice versa.

By the end of the year the colour barcodes will appear on DVD disks and on Xbox 360 videogames.

BBC